The Garden (2008)
Director: Scott Hamilton Kennedy
USA
Running Time: 1 hr. 20 min.
Awards: Academy Award Nominee for Best Documentary feature in 2008
Director: Scott Hamilton Kennedy
USA
Running Time: 1 hr. 20 min.
Awards: Academy Award Nominee for Best Documentary feature in 2008
Summary:
The Garden tells a story of one of the largest community gardens in South Central, Los Angelos. This 14 acre beauty, brought piece and comfort to farmers in 1992, in the wake of the L.A. riots. It is considered a miracle in some eyes because it had provided farmers to feed their families by growing their own food and in essence bringing about a community of 372 families. The Garden teaches us a unique lesson to never give up, even when the odds are against you because, in the community gardens case, the LA city council wanted to demolish the 14 acre community garden. South Central farmers cried out, “yes we can,” meaning that they would do all they could do to keep their 14 acre oasis.
Director Adam Scott Kennedy shows us a documentary of the now demolished community garden. Executive producers Julie Bergman Sender and Stuart Sender worked with Adam Scott Kennedy to create this documentary because of the Sender’s background working with Disney, Warner Bros and other big companies. It was filmed on location near Los Angelos, California. Kennedy documents a court battle that encompassed two and a half years. This battle was between farmers who farmed the 14 acres and the city council along with owner of the land Ralph Horowitz. Horowitz loaned these farmers the land to produce and garden for free in the early 90’s and in the early 2000’s he wanted to sell it, thus beginning the two and a half year court battle from 2004 to 2006.
South Central Farmers took great care of their oasis by producing; avocado trees, guava trees, apple trees, bananas, papaya, corn and other essentials to eat. The Garden provided for 372 families and is why they went to a court battle to fight for their garden because it was their way of life. One farmer said that what they ate, “taste good because you took care of them, you made them.” Another farmer said that, “he was left with a rich inheritance from his parents and he wasn’t referring to money put referring to the opportunity to till the land.”
On 41st and Almada stood The Garden for a decade teaching work ethic, providing for yourself through farming and teaching the essence of agriculture. Farmers didn’t farm because they became rich, they simply farmed because they loved what they did and it was a way to provide for their families. People in the city seen this and was willing to help out the farmers to fight for what they stood for. Professional actors and well known people such as; Danny Glover, Daryl Hannah and the current mayor at the time Antonio Villaraigosa supported the farmers and helped them raise $16.2 million dollars to pay owner Ralph Horowitz for the land. Ralph declined and said, “The farmers could have risen over $100 million and I wouldn’t have taken it because I don’t like their cause.”
The 14 acre garden thrived for over a decade until it was sold to a private contractor who demolished it to put storage warehouses on it and giving the city 2.7 acres for Soccer fields known as Slausin Field. Today, sadly the 14 acres is covered with soccer fields and storage warehouses showing that all the Farmers fight against Horowitz and the city council was lost but was it? Even though the farmers didn’t keep their 14 acre oasis a few of the farmers took what they had learned from agriculture and begin a farm on 80 acres in Bakersfield, California in which they sell their produce at local farmers markets. Even though they lost the initial battle we can learn many great things including always having hope, fight for what you believe in and never say never. All, of which can be very powerful and important tools in life.
The Garden tells a story of one of the largest community gardens in South Central, Los Angelos. This 14 acre beauty, brought piece and comfort to farmers in 1992, in the wake of the L.A. riots. It is considered a miracle in some eyes because it had provided farmers to feed their families by growing their own food and in essence bringing about a community of 372 families. The Garden teaches us a unique lesson to never give up, even when the odds are against you because, in the community gardens case, the LA city council wanted to demolish the 14 acre community garden. South Central farmers cried out, “yes we can,” meaning that they would do all they could do to keep their 14 acre oasis.
Director Adam Scott Kennedy shows us a documentary of the now demolished community garden. Executive producers Julie Bergman Sender and Stuart Sender worked with Adam Scott Kennedy to create this documentary because of the Sender’s background working with Disney, Warner Bros and other big companies. It was filmed on location near Los Angelos, California. Kennedy documents a court battle that encompassed two and a half years. This battle was between farmers who farmed the 14 acres and the city council along with owner of the land Ralph Horowitz. Horowitz loaned these farmers the land to produce and garden for free in the early 90’s and in the early 2000’s he wanted to sell it, thus beginning the two and a half year court battle from 2004 to 2006.
South Central Farmers took great care of their oasis by producing; avocado trees, guava trees, apple trees, bananas, papaya, corn and other essentials to eat. The Garden provided for 372 families and is why they went to a court battle to fight for their garden because it was their way of life. One farmer said that what they ate, “taste good because you took care of them, you made them.” Another farmer said that, “he was left with a rich inheritance from his parents and he wasn’t referring to money put referring to the opportunity to till the land.”
On 41st and Almada stood The Garden for a decade teaching work ethic, providing for yourself through farming and teaching the essence of agriculture. Farmers didn’t farm because they became rich, they simply farmed because they loved what they did and it was a way to provide for their families. People in the city seen this and was willing to help out the farmers to fight for what they stood for. Professional actors and well known people such as; Danny Glover, Daryl Hannah and the current mayor at the time Antonio Villaraigosa supported the farmers and helped them raise $16.2 million dollars to pay owner Ralph Horowitz for the land. Ralph declined and said, “The farmers could have risen over $100 million and I wouldn’t have taken it because I don’t like their cause.”
The 14 acre garden thrived for over a decade until it was sold to a private contractor who demolished it to put storage warehouses on it and giving the city 2.7 acres for Soccer fields known as Slausin Field. Today, sadly the 14 acres is covered with soccer fields and storage warehouses showing that all the Farmers fight against Horowitz and the city council was lost but was it? Even though the farmers didn’t keep their 14 acre oasis a few of the farmers took what they had learned from agriculture and begin a farm on 80 acres in Bakersfield, California in which they sell their produce at local farmers markets. Even though they lost the initial battle we can learn many great things including always having hope, fight for what you believe in and never say never. All, of which can be very powerful and important tools in life.
Analysis:
Even though the 14 acre community garden only lasted a decade, it served a great purpose. It provided 372 famalies with food and helped a community of farmers to show why agriculture is important. The Garden also shows that anything that is free essentially comes with a price. The price came at the expense of the owner being able to make a profit of the land and that’s exactly what he did. Ralph Horowitz bought the piece of land for $5 million and in return turned down a reported $16.2 million fund raising by the South Central Farmers. Thanks to the documentary of Scott Hamilton Kennedy we are able to see the beginning of the community garden in 1992 to the end of it’s reign in 2006 when it was bulldozed. South Central farmers will always be known as the people who never let up, even when the odds were against them and the 14 acre oasis they took care of in South Central, L.A. will always be remembered as, The Garden.
Works Cited:
The Garden. Dir. Scott Hamilton Kennedy. Perf. Joan Baez, Danny Glover. 2008. DVD.
Even though the 14 acre community garden only lasted a decade, it served a great purpose. It provided 372 famalies with food and helped a community of farmers to show why agriculture is important. The Garden also shows that anything that is free essentially comes with a price. The price came at the expense of the owner being able to make a profit of the land and that’s exactly what he did. Ralph Horowitz bought the piece of land for $5 million and in return turned down a reported $16.2 million fund raising by the South Central Farmers. Thanks to the documentary of Scott Hamilton Kennedy we are able to see the beginning of the community garden in 1992 to the end of it’s reign in 2006 when it was bulldozed. South Central farmers will always be known as the people who never let up, even when the odds were against them and the 14 acre oasis they took care of in South Central, L.A. will always be remembered as, The Garden.
Works Cited:
The Garden. Dir. Scott Hamilton Kennedy. Perf. Joan Baez, Danny Glover. 2008. DVD.